THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

144
P. OV1DII NASONIS
Cuique fuit rerum promissa potentia, Tybrin.
Dissilit omne solum ; penetratque in Tartara rimis
Lumen, et infernum terret cum conjuge regem :
Et mare contrahitur; siccaeque est campus arena, 110
Quod mod6 pontus erat; quosque altum texerat aquor,
Exsistunt monies, et sparsas Cycladas augent.
Ima petunt pisces: nee se super ffiquora curvi
Tollere consuetas audent delphines in auras.
Corpora phocarum summo resupina profundo
Exanimata natant: ipsum quoque Nerea fama est
Doridaque, et natas, tepidis latuisse sub antris.
Ter Neptunus aquis cum torvo brachia vultu
Exserere ausus erat; ter ncn tulit aeris aestus.
AJma tamen Tellus, ut erat circumdata ponta,
Inter aquas pelagi, contractosque undique fontes,
Qui se condiderant in opacae viscera matris;
Sustulit cmniferos collo tcnus arida vultus :
Opposuitque manum fronti; magnoque tremore
Omnia concutiens paulum subsedit; et infra
NOT^E.
It rises near the foot of Mount Vesulus,
runs enstwardly about 300 miles, and falls
into the Gulf of Venice.
107. Tybrin. The Tiber, here put by
metonymy for Rome, which stands upon
its banks. It rises in the Apennines, and
running south-west, passes by Rome, and
empties into the Mediterranean about fif
teen miles from that city. '
107. Potentia rerum: the government of
the world.
108. Dissilit: leaps asunder; cracks
open.
Deep to the root
Of vegetation parched, the cleaving fields
And slippery lawn an arid hue disclose.
THOMSON.
108. Tartara. In the ting. Tartarus.
The place of punishment in the infernal
regions.
109. Infernum regem: the infernal king;
viz. Pluto.
109. Cum conjuge : with his wife, Pro
serpine.
112. Existunt: rise up and stand out of
the water.
112. Augent: increase in number.
112. Cycladas. T he Cyclades are a
cluster of islands in the Archipelago, lying
in the form of a circle ; hence their name
from KufXof, a circle.
113. Ima: t he lowest places; the bot
tom. Supply loca.
114. Tollere: to raise; to toss thcm-
eeives.
115. Pfiocarum. Sea-calves, which imi
tate the lowing of oxen.
11C. Nalanl: float.
116. Nerca. The son of Oceanus and
115
120
125
LIBER II.
109. Omne solum
dissilit, Inmenque pe-
nelral in Tartara ri
mis, et tcrrel regem
infernum cum con
juge.
113. Pisces petunt
ima, nee curvi Del-
phmes audent lollere
Be super eequora, in
auras consuelas.
118. Neptuims ler
ausus eral exserere
hrachia aijuis cum
totvo vullu; ler non
tulit ceslus aSris.
124. Opposuilque
manum fronli: concu-
liensque omnia mag-
Terra who married Doris, by whom he had
fifty daughters called Nereides.
117. Dorida. See note on page 128.
119. Exserere: to put forth; to lift up.
120. Alma Tellns: the bountiful Earth;
so called because she feeds and nourishes
all animals.
121. Contractos. Contracted by the
heat, and by their retiring into the recesses
of the earth.
122. Qui se condiderant: who had hid
themselves. They sought refuge from the
intense heat. Distressful Nature pants;
The very streams look languid from afar;
Or, through the unsheltered glade, impatient,
seem
To hurl into the covert of the grove.
. THOMSON.
122. In opaca viscera: in the bowels of
their dark mother.
123. Suttulit: lifted up.
123. Omniferos: all-sustaining. Hence
the earth is called nqifiijnip by the Greeks,
and omuijiarens by the Latins.
Common mother,
Whose womb immeasurable, and infinite breast
Teems and feeds all. WILTON.
All-parent, bounding, whose prolific powers
Produce a store of beauteous fruits and flowers.
OnriiEus.
124. Opposuilque manum: and put her
hand to her brow. The whole description
of the Earth here is a beautiful allegory.
The present attitude in which she is pre
sented is at once pensive and melancholy.
124. Rlugno tremore: with a great trem
bling.
125. Paulum subsedit: settled a liltle ;
stink down a little.
FABULA II. MET AMORP HO SE ON.
Quam' solet esse, fuit: siccaque ita voce locuta est.
Si placet hoc, meruique, quid 6 tua fulmina cessant,
Summe deum ? liceat perituree viribus ignis,
Igne perire tuo; clademque auctore levarc.
Vix equidem fauces haec ipsa in verba resolvo: 13
(Presserat ora vapor;) Tostos en aspice crines !
Inque oculis tantum, tantum super ora favillro.
Hosne mihi fructus ? hunc fertilitatis honorem,
Officiique refers, quod adunci vulnera aratri
Rastrcrumque fero, totoque exerceor anno ? 13
Quod pecori frondes, alimentaque mitia fruges
Humano generi, vobis quftd thura ministro ?
Sed tamen exitium fac me meruisse: quid undse,
Quid meruit frater ? cur illi tradita sorte
^Equora decrescunt, et ab ssthere longius absuut; 140
Quod si nee fratris, nee te mea gratia tangit;
At coeli miserere tui; circumspice utrumque,
Fumat uterque polus ; quos si vitiaverit ignis
Atria vestra ruent. Atlas en ipse laborat!
Vixque suis humeris candentem sustinet axem. 145
Si freta, si terrse pereunt, si regia cosli;
In chaos antiquum confundimur. Eripe flammis
Si quid adhuc superest; et rerum consule summae.
Dixerat hsec Tellus : neque enim tolerare vaporem
Ulterius potuit, nee dicere plura: suumque 150
Rettulit os in se, propioraque manibus antra.
NOTjE.
145
no tremore, subsedit
paulum, et fuii infra
quara solet esse.
I 130. Equidem vn
resolvo fauces in htec
ipsa verba, (vapor
pr-sserat ora) en as
pice crines loslos, fa-
yillceque lamtim sunt
in oculis favilla tan-
lum sunt super >ra.
138. Sed fac inmon
me meruisse exitium:
quid und.c meniert
quid fraler tuits me
ruit ? Cur a'quora ira-
dita illi sorte, decrcj-
cuiil.
149. Tellus dixera
hcec; neque enim po
tuit ullerius tolerara
vaporem, nee dicere
plura, reltulitquc, BU-
126. SIccS voce: with dry, husky voice. 139. Quid meruit frater t what has my
128. Summe Deum : sovereign of tli brother (Neptune) merited?
gods; viz. Jupiter.
139. Tradita sorte: given him by lot,
128. Liceat •peritura: may I, who am when the world was divided.
about to perish by the strength of fire, 140. Longius absunt: are farther re
perish by thy fire, viz. the thunderbolt moved.
Supply m ihi after liceat.
141. Te langit: moves you; affects you.
129. Clademque auctore: and lighten my 143. Fumat uteryue: each pole is smoking.
destruction by the author. It would be a
143. Quos si vitiaverit: which if the fire
mitigation of her destruction to perish by uliall destroy.
god, and not by a boy.
If the foundations be destroyed what can the
130. Vix resolvo: scarcely do (can) t righteous do. PSALM xi. a
open my mouth. The indicative is used 144. Atria vestra : your palaces will fall.
here with the force of the potential mood. 144. Atlas. A high mountain of Mau
131. Tostos crinei: my scorched hair. ritania, which is feigned to support the Hea
The earth refers to the foliage of the trees, vens, because it is lost in the clouds. Atlas,
which may be regarded as her hair. See
note on page 100.
the king of Mauritania, was said to be
changedinto that mountain. The introduc
134. Hosne fructus : these fruits; these
rewards.
tion of Atlas here is an anachronism, for his
transformation does not take place fora long
134. Aratri, raslrornmijue. The differ time afterwards, as recorded in Lib. IV.
ent implements of husbandry.
145. Candentem axem: the burning
136. Quod pecori. The Earth here axle; the burning Heavens; a part for the
makes a strong appeal, in that she sup whole, by synecdoche.
plied necessaries for animals, men, and
gods.
145. Freta: the straits; put for the sen,
by synecdoche.
137. Thura: frankincense, to be used 146. Kerum summce : for the whole of
in sacrifices to the gods.
things; for the universe.
138. Foe me meruisse : suppose me to 149. Vaporem: the heat.
have deserved.
151. Bettulit os: withdrew her head.
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